Mail-crane.



PATENTBD MAY 12, 1903;

T. J. CONWAY.

MAIL CRANE.

APPLIOATION FILED 00115. 1902.

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No. 727,909. PATENTED'MAY 12,1903.

- T J. CONWAY.

MAIL CRANE.

APPLICATION FILED 001. 15. 1902. no momm. J 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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THE NORRIS PETERS CO. FHOTO-LITNO.. WASHINGTON, D. G,

' UNITED STATES Patented May 12, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. CONWAY, OF BLANOHESTER, OHIO.

MAIL-ORAN E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,909, dated May 12, 1903. Application filed. octoher lfi, 19 2. Serial No. 127,355. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern: 4

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. CONWAY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Blanchester, in the county of Clinton and State of Ohio, have invented-a new and Improved Mail-Orane, of which the following is a full, clear, andexactdescription.

This invention relates to certain novel and useful improvements in automatic mailcranes or mail-delivering devices, and has for its object to provide a mechanism of the character above specified which shall be durable in construction, positive and simple in operation, and capable of being readily placed in If position for immediate use.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic mail -crane'which after the mail-bag has been taken therefrom by devices on a passing train shall automatically swing away from or into a position parallel with the track.

With these and other objects of a similar nature in view the invention consists in the peculiar construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter described in the specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

While I have herein shown and described one form of my invention, it will of course be understood that there can be modification and change as to cert-ain'parts and features shown therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part'of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding vpart'sin'all the figures.

Figure 1 is aside elevation of my improved automatic mail-crane, showing it in its normally operative position. view showing the crane parallel with the track and out of position for use. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the main stand of the crane and its accompanying parts, showing the manner of mounting the same. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View of the upper elbowed portion of the crane and the bag-retainin g clip mounted thereon. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of thecrane- Fig. 2 is a'similar' standard and the lower pivoted or swinging arm, and Fig. 6 is a view taken on the line 6 6' of Fig. 5. v

Referring now to the drawings in detail and in particular to Figs. 1 and 3 thereof, the numeral 1 designates the crane standard or post mounted at any suitable point adjacent to a railway-track. This standard is composed of any suitable materialsuch as wood, metal, or the like-and is mounted, preferably, as shown, upon a block or casting 2, having a groove 3. in its upper-surface to permit the standard to rest and revolve thereon. Theblock 2 is in turn rigidly secured to a suitable timber A, arranged adjacent to the track, and such block is housed or incased by a casting 4, having a hollow or seat 5, formed. 011 its upper surface, adapted to retain a relatively long hollow sleeve 6 of somewhat greater diameter in cross-section than the post or standard 1. This sleeve, as will be seen in particular by reference to Fig. 3, surrounds the aforesaid standard -1, and interposed between said sleeve and standard is a coil or spiral tension-spring 7, adapted to perform a function to be hereinafter set forth. Mounted on the upper end of said sleeve in' any suitable manner, preferably by a screwthread, is a cap 8, having its upper edge inclined or converging, so that such edge bears against the standard 1. The upper portion 9 of the standardl "is preferably curved or bent at right angles to the main body portion, as will be seen in Figs. 1 and 2, and at the extremity of such bent portion is secured by any suitable means, such as screw-threading, an elbow 10, which is adapted to receive and carry the mailbag-retaining clip 11.

Surrounding the standard 1 in any suitable .position thereon is a collar 12', provided with lugs or extensions 13, adapted to have pivoted between them'an arm 14. This arm is substantially equal in length and similar in general conformation'to the upper arm 9, and at the elbow portion 15, formed at its outer end, is secured a second bag-retaining clip 16, similar to-the' clip 11. At the inner or pivoted end of the aforesaid arm 14 is formed a vertically-extending lug 17,-adapted when the arm is .in its operative position at right angles to the standard of the crane to engage between extensions 18, formed on a collar 19, surrounding the crane-standard 1, and supported by the brace-rods, hereinafter referred to, on the standard 1, just above the collar 12. This collar 19 has a number of ears 20 extending radially therefrom and adapted to have fastened between them the upper ends of brace-rods 21, the lower ends of said rods being fastened at any convenient point. The post or standard 1 may, if desired, be formed of two sections, as shown in Fig. 3, and in such case the sections are jointed by a reducing-collar, as at 22. A tension-spring 23 is coiled around the standard 1, the upper end of such spring being secured to the collar 12, and the lower end thereof is held by the collar 22. As will be evident, the function of the spring 23 is to act as a tension device for the collar 12 and its accompanying pivoted arm 14.

The operation of my device is substantially as follows: hen it is desired to employ the structure for holding a mail-bag to be taken by devices on a train, the arm 14 is swung from its lowermost position upwardly until it is at substantially right angles with the main body portion of the device. The lug 17, entering between the extensions 18 on the collar 19, prevents the rotation of the collar 12 by the tension-spring 23, and the arm 14 is held in its horizontal position by means of the clip 16, which is secured to the ring at the bottom of the mail-bag B, such bag having been previously fastened by its upper ring to the retaining-clip 11, carried by the elbow 10 of the arm 9. The standard 1 is then turned into its operative position at right angles to the railway-track by means of the handle or lever 24, which is rigidly secured at any suitable point on the standard 1, for, as will be seen, the standard 1 is so mounted in the hollowed-out portion of the casting or base-block 2 that it may readily turn or re volve thereon. When the mail-bag has been removed from the retaining-clips by a passing train, the pivoted arm 14, being no longer supported, will drop through gravity, or its own weight, and the collar 12 will be revolved slightly by the tension-spring 23, and at the same time the entire standard 1 and its accompanying parts will be turned from a position transversely of the track to one parallel thereto by means of the large tensionspring 7, heretofore mentioned as being interposed between the shell or sleeve 6 and the post 1.

As will be evident, there are many advantages incident to my improved structure,

among them being that the base casing or housing 4 is so formed that it is impossible for rain, snow, dust, or the like to enter and clog the hollowed portion of the casting 2 in such manner as to prevent the rotation of the standard 1 thereon.

The device may be constructed, as hereinbefore stated, of any suitable material, preferably metal tubing, and is very durable, the parts being so arranged and constructed that there is little liability of theirsutfering damage from ordinary causes.

To further assist in holding the standard in its normally operative position transversely of the tracks, I may provide, if necessary, a collar similar to that shown at 19 in the drawings, which collar is to be rigidly mounted a short distance above the said collar 19. The lug or dog is made long enough to extend up between parallel radially-extending lugs, which are counterparts of and lie in the same vertical plane as the lugs 18. When the lug 17 is extended between lugs on the collar rigid with the standard, the latter will be positively held against accidental displacement from its operative position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a device of the class described, a base portion, a standard revolubly mounted thereon, a sleeve surrounding said standard, tension means interposed between said sleeve and standard, an arm formed at the upper end of the aforesaid standard, bag-retaining means carried by said arm, a second arm provided with bag-retaining means mounted beneath the first-mentioned arm,and means surrou nding the standards for preventing the lateral movement of the second arm when the latter is in its normally operative position parallel to the first-mentioned arm.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a base-section, a main standard movably mounted thereon, an arm formed at the upper end of the main standard, bag-retaining means carried by said arm, and a second arm provided with bag-retaining means mounted beneath the first-mentioned arm, and means supported independently of the aforesaid standards and arms for retaining the aforesaid arms in parallelism when in their operative position.

3. A device of the class described, comprising a grooved base portion, a housing for said base portion, a main standard revolubly mounted on said base portion, asleeve mounted on said housing and surrounding the standard, an arm formed at the upper end of said standard, a second arm pivotally mounted beneath the first-named arm, means for revolving the standard on the base portion to a position transversely of a railwaytrack, means for holding the standard in such position and means for returning the standard to its former position.

4. A device of the class described, comprising abase portion, a standard mounted thereon, a sleeve surrounding said standard, tension means for revolving the standard, an arm formed at the upper portion of said standard and provided with bag-retaining means, a collar mounted on said standard below the aforesaid arm, a tensioned spring for IIO said collar, a second arm pivotally secured to said collar, and bag-retaining means for said pivoted arm.

5. A device of the class described, comprisingabase portion, a housing therefor, a sleeve rigidly mounted on said housing, a standard extending through said sleeve and revolubly seated on said base portion, a tension-spring interposed between the sleeve and standard for revolving said standard upon the base, an arm formed at the upper portion of said standard, a pivoted arm mounted on the standard beneath said first-mentioned arm, means carried by the standard for moving it to a position transversely of a railway-track, and means for holding it in such transverse position.

6. A device of the class described, comprising a base portion, a standard revolubly mounted thereon and having an arm formed at its upper portion, a collar mounted on the standard below said arm, a second arm pivotally secured to said collar, a retaining-collar mounted above the first-named collar, and a lugi'ormed on the pivoted arm and engaging with the retaining-collar for holding the pivoted arm against revolution when in its operative position.

7. A device of the class described, comprising a base portion, a housing'therefor, a standard revolubly mounted on said base portion, a sleeve mounted on said housing and surroundingsaid standard, an arm formed at the upper end of the standard, bag-retaining clips carried by said arm, a collar mounted on said standard and having laterally ex tending parallel lugs, a second arm provided with bag-retaining clips pivoted between said parallel lugs, a second collar provided with radiating ears mounted above and adjacent to the first-mentioned collar,an extension carried by said pivoted arm adapted, when thelatter is at right angles to the standard, to occupy a position between two of said ears, and brace rods supporting the second named collar.

8. A device of the class described, comprismg a base portion, a standard revolubly mounted thereon, a bag-supporting arm,

formed at the upper end thereof, a second bag-supporting arm pivotally mounted on the standard below the first-mentioned arm,

means for moving the standard and arms into their operative positions, and means for retaining the standard in such position, the

THOMAS J. CONWAY.

Witnesses:

G. P. THORPE, B. L. CONWAY. 

